OLYMPIA – Free classes will be held in June and July at five locations for citizens who want to help prevent poaching of the state’s fish and wildlife.

The two-hour training sessions – scheduled in Vancouver, Naches, Wenatchee, Puyallup and Issaquah – are jointly sponsored by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), the Eyes in the Woods Association, and other outdoor organizations and sporting goods stores.

The classes are part of a series of Crime Observation and Reporting Training (CORT) sessions scheduled this year to train and certify citizens as non-confrontational witnesses in fish and wildlife enforcement efforts.

“Our goal is to create a network of citizens trained in identifying, documenting and reporting crimes against our natural resources,” said Lt. Richard Mann of WDFW’s enforcement program. “While no one but a certified law-enforcement officer should ever approach a suspect, we often rely on citizens’ help to detect and report wildlife violations.”

All five meetings are scheduled from 7-9 p.m. on the following dates and locations:

Vancouver: June 13 at 13215B S.E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, Wash. The class is hosted by G.I. Joe’s Sporting Goods. To sign up for the class, contact Jenifer at 360-253-2420 or tom.dietz@joes.com.

Naches: June 14 at 16601 Hwy. 12, Naches. The class is hosted by Oak Creek Wildlife Area. To sign up for the class, contact John McGowan at 509-653-2390.

Wenatchee: June 19 at 180 Rock Island Rd. E., Wenatchee. The local sponsor is the Wenatchee Sportsmen’s Association. To sign up for the class, contact Ron Bruno at 509-884-9369 or ron.bruno@verizon.net.

Puyallup: June 27 at 16409 Canyon Road E., Puyallup. The class is hosted by the Tacoma Sportsmen’s Club. To sign up for the class, contact Amanda Knoop at 253-537-6151 or tsc@worldstar.com.

Issaquah: July 25 at 20009 S.E. 127th St., Issaquah. Sponsored by the Issaquah Sportsmen’s Club. To sign up for the class, contact Tom Mechler at 425-255-0922 or tommechler@msn.com.